Maria Sayans faces criticism over job security remarks and contractor shift
Updated
Updated · PC Gamer · Apr 30
Maria Sayans faces criticism over job security remarks and contractor shift
8 articles · Updated · PC Gamer · Apr 30
At London Games Fest, the Ustwo Games chief said the studio of just under 30 staff would keep a core team and rely more on contractors.
She said London staffing costs, pensions and budgets of £7m-£10m had made recent projects unsustainable, and argued games may need higher prices to remain viable.
The rethink follows Netflix dropping Monument Valley 3 about six months after launch, pushing Ustwo away from mobile towards single-player PC and console games.
Is Ustwo's pivot from mobile to PC a savvy survival tactic or a leap into an even riskier market?
As studios abandon 'romantic' job security, can the games industry build a sustainable future for its freelance workforce?
Will AI's promise to slash game development costs be nullified by the hardware price hikes it is causing?